Jason Jones – “Unlikely Angel”
New Warner artist Jason Jones debuts with “Unlikely Angel,” a song about the redemptive power of a selfless and strong-loving woman. Jones’ voice is the highlight here, pristine and crisp and underscored by a subtle twang that quivers just slightly in all the right places.
In presentation and character, Jones sounds like a somewhat more refined Gary LeVox, although when his tenor soars it reminds of Bryan White. That may not sound like a potent concoction, but it results in a surprisingly satisfying sound–one that sets Jones as a contrast to the format’s gluttony of soul-heavy, gravely voices.
The song itself is concise, a heartfelt tribute from an “undeserving man.” But the lyric is so straightforward that it wears thin after the first listen, the ultimate payoff settling for nothing more than the description of the subject as defined by the title. And although it is indeed touching to identify a lover as an unlikely angel, the fact that this lacks both a unique observation on the given relationship and a memorable hook keeps us from coming back for more.
It’s especially disappointing that the song fails to deliver any insight into who this unlikely angel is, or into what she does that frees the singer “from the Devil’s hold” (other than “sacrificing all she can”). We know nothing about either of these people beyond the story’s very generic outlining of a bad boy who is “saved” by a physically small good-girl with a big heart.
The less specific a song’s lyric are, and the less engaging its story, the more hooky it must be both lyrically and musically. This is weak on all related fronts.
And at times what is otherwise a paltry but serviceable lyric totally slips and retreats into pure cliché. With lines that refer to “deepest darkest places” and love being a dream, “Unlikely Angel” is seriously toothless. Although the narrator may have been saved, by the time Jones sings, “She freed me from the Devil’s hold/And poured herself into my wounded soul,” the song is beyond repent.
Jones has a unique sound that will play well on radio, and “Unlikely Angel’s” mid-tempo groove is a breezy respite from summer playlists blistering with high-powered tempo.
At the end of the day, though, it’s a below average song that will be forgotten quickly–even if it is, as I suspect it will be, successful in launching Jones’ career.
Listen: Jason Jones – “Unlikely Angel”
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Current Discussion
- Jon: @K, thanks for the further explanation. As near as I can tell, there are at least as many mediocre ...
- K: “I would hope that the legacy of a great singer is rewarded more richly than a great writer.” After reading my ...
- Jon: PS – Its too bad Amie Comeaux wasn’t born years later so she could have been a contestant on American ...
- Joe: Great guilty pleasure. I'll enjoy hearing this on the radio.
- Michelle: I love That's My Job by Conway Twitty, but I can't listen to it with others in the room.
- Michelle: Two stars? Whatever!
- Michelle: I love this song. I would love to climb up in his lap and drive his big green tractor!
- sam (sam): Perhaps the best way to fix a bad song is to drink a bit of wine and then listen again. ...
- WAYNOE: Jim, Please list your credentials for fixing wine and also fixing country songs.
- Steve M.: Well yes, I never claimed that anyone else had. I could have claimed Roy Cohn did, but he has been ...
16 Comments
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June 30, 2009 at 9:44 am Permalink
Heard this song the other day and had the same thoughts…..just terrible…simply terrible…who would put this stuff out?
June 30, 2009 at 7:40 pm Permalink
Wow, this guy has a voice that sounds like a cross between Keith Urban and Gary LeVox and his name is like an anagram of Joe Jonas, so how could he go wrong? Well, but putting out a lackluster, cookie cutter effort like this, that’s how. This song just may be mediocre enough to be a breakthrough single on AirHead Country radio! I will admit I like prefer this guy’s voice to Brad Paisley….
July 2, 2009 at 4:32 am Permalink
This song is me and my husband down to every word. I meet him and he was about to break, and I saved him frm his demons. He has quit drinking for over a month and has dedicated his life to God. Jason Jones has an amazing voice.
July 3, 2009 at 9:09 am Permalink
Thank you Jim for your honest opinion. The reason why there aren’t more specific details of who this unlikely angel was is because the more detailed and specific you get..the less people can relate it to their personal situation. Unlikely angels can come in many different ways and appear when you least expect it and we wanted the largest number of people to be able to relate it to their personal and unique circumstances. Jason did a wonderful job by the way:)
July 4, 2009 at 8:44 pm Permalink
I’m just curious … what really does make one an expert on songwriting, other than the obvious of having written at least one hit song? I don’t mean that to sound critical — it’s an honest question. Thankfully, I don’t rely on others’ opinions to decide for me whether or not I like a song. And personally, I think “Unlikely Angel” is beautifully written and beautifully delivered.
July 4, 2009 at 10:27 pm Permalink
Its a sad day when country songwriters have to write in the vaguest of generalities and the most overused of cliches in order to appeal to the listener.
If country listeners need such “relatable” music, it doesn’t speak well of country listeners.
Isn’t country music better than this? Don’t country fans demand and deseve better than this
July 5, 2009 at 11:59 am Permalink
To LORI: “…what really does make one an expert on songwriting, other than the obvious of having written at least one hit song?”
I kinda doubt that most critics have wriiten a “hit song”.
July 18, 2009 at 9:38 pm Permalink
First off, I like Jason alot and he has immense talent. However, this song does not showcase his full potential and talent. “You’re My Favorite” is at least 100 times better than this drivel. This song is borderline boy-band material. Shame on you Warner Bros for passing this off as “new country.” Let Jason loose to do HIS thing, and the fans will flock.
August 9, 2009 at 6:40 pm Permalink
I’ve been a huge fan of Jason Jones for years now. I love him and his music. I’ll agree this isn’t my favorite song of his and I like the songs he writes better than this one, which he didn’t write. But I’m trusting the label is smarter than me. I just hope they prove me wrong.
August 9, 2009 at 6:41 pm Permalink
PS… I agree “You’re My Favorite” should have been his first single.
August 14, 2009 at 2:36 pm Permalink
“You’re My Favorite” (acoustic version) definitely should have been his first single!! It would have done quite well and is always a concert favorite! My guess is he feels the same….
August 20, 2009 at 12:04 pm Permalink
Jason is a terrific singer/songwriter along with being a sweetheart. I hope the label does right by him and lets him release his own songs. I love the album he put out and can’t wait for his next one.
August 23, 2009 at 10:17 am Permalink
I know Jason has wrote alot of songs and Unlikely Angel is one of my favorites. It is one of those songs that makes you go around all day singing the chorus line. You did a great job on this one Jason.
Keep up the great work. Unlikely Angel is going to #1 on the Country Music charts. Disregard all of the negative comments on this site
September 1, 2009 at 12:30 pm Permalink
I just seen Jason Jones is concert this past Friday, He opened for Josh Turner and I thought he was awesome! I loved every song. I think he is going to be a huge success!!
September 2, 2009 at 10:46 pm Permalink
Thank You JD and LORI for this insight:
“…what really does make one an expert on songwriting, other than the obvious of having written at least one hit song?”
I kinda doubt that most critics have wriiten a “hit song”.
Truth be told If the critics wrote the hits they wouldn’t need to be critics for a living now.. would they? But I do believe they serve a noble purpose! ..they are actually sort of like Twangtown vampires..that sucking sound your hear is a critic feeding on an unwitting, cliche bound lyric writer or a slightly too packaged music row “country” act being perpetrated on the rest of us…We should thank them as they are our first line of defense against the legions of the undead who work at record labels and send mind numbing stuff they call music out to the world..Critics are like the first line of defense! See, they do serve a purpose!! (this commentary has nothing whatsoever to do with the song listed above..just saying) Nuff Said :>)
November 5, 2009 at 6:17 pm Permalink
Critics are our first line of defense?!? Ha, ha, ha….that is seriously laughable. You guys are worse than lawyers. You make a living off of preying on the works of others because you have no real talents to speak of. You couldn’t even spell check the word ‘reality’ in your name on here. Good luck with your critiquing skills.
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